Fate's Last Chance
by MizuOtome
Summary: When Kagome tries to take a "fake" shard from a mysterious girl, they both fall into the well and end up 550 years in the past, only days before InuYasha and Kikyo's tragic twist of fate! Can Kagome end everyone's suffering here and now? [COMPLETE]
1. Suteru's Appearence

Hey everyone, I'm Kumari-chan (but you can call me K-chan). This will be my first fanfic and I hope to write more! Please leave me your comments and enjoy!

The story and characters within this fanfic belong to Takahashi-san! All except for Suteru! ;)

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The sun was dim in the mountains as Kagome tossed her bag down the well and jumped after it. She went through the warp and into her own time where she once again threw the bag over the well and dragged it home. She slid open the door to her home and called in, "Mom, I'm home!" she was then greeted by Buyo and her kid brother Sota.

"Hey sis!" Sota called. "You came back alone I see..." disappointment fell over Sota's face.

"Oh PUH-LEEZE! Like I'd want InuYasha in this time at all!" She went off. They had already had an argument earlier today that had sent Kagome fleeing home as she usually did. It had all begun with InuYasha insulting Kagome's cooking. "I'm going to go take a bath..." with those words, she went upstairs and did just that.

Meanwhile, on the other side in the Feudal Era, InuYasha sat in a tree mumbling to himself. "Damn Kagome... stupid... cooking... FEH! Who needs her?" He grunted at the thought of her 'sitting' him 12 times when he said he'd prefer ramen to her so-called "homemade" cooking. He crossed his arms, leaned back to the tree, and tried to sleep everything off.

Back in Kaede's village, the rest of the group sat with looks as though the bickering didn't amuse them.

"I don't get it... I like Kagome's cooking." Shippo said randomly.

"Anyways..." Miroku came in. "Did any one notice something strange when Kagome left, like some sort of aura was out in the forest by the well?"

"Yes, as though something was in there." Sango replied. "But I sent Kirara and Kagome made it home just fine. I wonder if something went over to her side."

"But aren't Kagome and InuYasha the only two who can pass through the well?" Shippo questioned.

"Aye, or so we thought. There could very well be demons who could pass through time by use of the well." Kaede nudged the fire with a stick and continued, "'Tis all a mystery to me."

"I'm sure Kagome can handle herself though, whatever it is. But maybe we should check out the well every now and then Miroku, ne?" Sango suggested.

"Yes, we shall." Miroku nodded and stood up. "I'll do that now and then we'll check again in the morning."

"Should I tell InuYasha?" Shippo asked. Suddenly, InuYasha's foot came crushing down on Shippo's head.

"Why bother?" InuYasha smirked.

"InuYasha, have you had enough time to think about things?" Sango gave him a dirty look when she asked.

"Yeah, and I'll go check out the well. I wanna go back and give Kagome a piece of my mind."

Shippo pried himself up from InuYasha's foot. "Yeah right... you know you'll just go there and see Kagome and forget you were ever mad in the first pla-" InuYasha pounded Shippo in the head again.

"Shuddap." He turned around and dashed off into the darkness, down to the well and in it.

Back with Kagome, she sat at her desk attempting to do homework. "Ahh, so nice to be home for once." She started to doze of and fell asleep on her books. She slept soundly and the window creaked open. InuYasha poked his head in. After he noticed she was asleep, he even more quietly slipped in.

"Someplace to fall asleep..." He rolled his eyes. He pulled her chair back and picked her up. Carefully, he carried her to her bed and put her down gently. Then, only after he made sure she was still sound asleep, he took a blanket to cover her. "Sweet dreams..." he whispered. Turning off the lights, he jumped back out the window and closed it behind him.

The next morning, Kagome woke up and noticed that she was in her bed. Smiling, she told herself; "I knew he'd come..." she jumped up and began to get ready for school. She quickly jogged out the door waving to her mom as she stuffed a breakfast bar into her mouth and dashed off to school.

It ended up being just another day until Kagome sat down in class and looked to her right. There sat a petite girl with hair down to her mid-back. It was coal black and shined in the light. She hand evenly cut bangs and two thick strands of hair that ran over her ears and down her chest. The rest was tied back neatly with a white ribbon. When she turned to Kagome, she had amber eyes that just about shined like gold. Smiling, she said, "Hello. My name's Suteru."

Kagome returned a smile and replied, "Hi, I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you."

The day continued on as though it was no different from what it used to be. Suteru seemed to like sticking around with Kagome and she had no problem with it. They started to walk home, she'd only moved in a little ways down the street from Kagome.

"Well," said Kagome as they made it to the shrine pillars, "This is where I go. I'll see you tomorrow at school... maybe." Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to the Feudal Era or not yet.

"Uhm... Kagome?" Suteru said quickly.

"Yes?"

"I want to show you something." She set her backpack down and searched around in it. Kagome waited patiently until Suteru pulled up a shard of the shikon jewel. "This, I need to show you this." She held it in her hand in front of Kagome.

_A jewel shard?! In this time?_ Kagome thought. "May I see that?"

"No!" Suteru quickly pulled her hand back and turned to run up the stairs towards the shrine.

"Wait!" Kagome called, running after her. When she reached the top, Suteru was nowhere to be found. Kagome stood there panting and looked around frantically. "What's with this girl?" She looked around a little more and as soon as she saw the doors to the small shrine that held the well were open, she immediately ran for them.

"Suteru? Hey! Suteru are you in here?" Kagome dropped her backpack and walked towards the well. She looked down into it and saw nothing. _Could it be? Could she have really gone back?_ A loud slam behind Kagome made her heart skip a beat. She quickly turned and squinted through the darkness to see Suteru.

"Now, Kagome, you shall come back. Back with me..." She said menacingly.

"Where? What do you want with me?" Kagome backed up more and more until she felt her legs graze the well. Suteru stepped closer, and reached her hand out towards Kagome. She began to glow and was suddenly changed into a blue kimono, lined with silver and flower petals.

"Wh... what are you?" Kagome demanded in an unconvincing tone.

"That won't matter once this mission is complete."

"Mission?!" Kagome yelled. "Just what do you want with me!?"

"Silence." Suteru pushed Kagome into the well and jumped after her, disappearing into the warp in time.


	2. Right Place in the Wrong Time

Hey everyone! Hope you liked the first chapter. Since it's my first one, I want to finish a few more chapters before moving on to another story. Just so you all know, this isn't going to be a novel length fanfic, but it will be... at least 5 chapters. Enjoy!

All hail Takahashi-san! CREATOR OF INUYASHA! XD

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When Kagome opened her eyes, she was still at the bottom of the well staring up. She could see the blue sky and the clouds; she'd gone back in time. Sitting up quickly, she checked her pockets for the bottle that had her shards.

"Oh no!" She said, "I knew I had them with me!"

"Looking for these?" Suteru leaned over and looked down into the well, waving the bottle above Kagome.

"Give those back!" Kagome demanded. She started to climb out as fast as she could. Suteru stood straight up and backed away as Kagome tossed herself over the edge of the well only to hit a stone pathway. "Hmm? What's this?" She stood up and looked around. "Th... this isn't the Feudal Era..." It was more of a large clearing rather then a forest. She looked over towards the Sacred Tree only to see that there were stairs leading upwards into the village with shrine pillars much like the ones that were at her house.

"No, it _is_ the Feudal Era. Just not the one you're used to." Suteru had a dirty smile on her face.

"You! What's going on here! I demand to know!!" Kagome yelled. She reached out to grab the shards from Suteru. Without hesitation, Suteru leapt back and did midair flips, landing perfectly on her toes.

"This way, Kagome. I will explain everything..." Kagome had realized that she had no choice, in order to return, she'd need those shards. Reluctantly, she followed after Suteru as they walked into the forest and down to a small stream. Suteru tucked Kagome's shards neatly into a pocket in her kimono and sat down. She then took out the shard she had and turned to Kagome. "Sit down."

Kagome obeyed and sat. "Okay, explain. What do you mean by 'the Feudal Era that I'm not used to'?"

"See this shard?" Upon closer inspection, Kagome finally understood that it wasn't a real shard. "This is a shard from my world, the world that would've happened if Naraku hadn't interfered."

Kagome gasped. "Naraku? How do you know about him?"

"He's the reason I'm here. No, no. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not his minion or anything." She closed her eyes and sighed. "This is 550 years ago, Kagome. We have four days until Kikyo bounds InuYasha to the tree and ends up dying."

Kagome's heart pounded when she thought about it. "And... you want me to stop Naraku? I can't do it alone!"

"Yes you can, that's why I brought you back and no one else. Besides, Naraku isn't as powerful as he is in the Feudal Era that you know. Anyways, as I was saying, with this shard I was able to come back to this time but I may only do so once. This thing is useless now." She crushed it in her hand and continued. "Four days, Kagome. We'll get some arrows and- "

"But wait! Why? Can't things go on the way they are?"

"Everyone's suffered so much, wouldn't it be nice to end it all here and now?"

"But, would I be able to return to InuYasha, Sango, and the others?" Kagome's heart beat even faster. "I don't want to give that all up! I can't!"

"So it's about what you want? Not what was meant to be? You defied fate. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I don't get it! How does all this affect you at all!?" Kagome yelled. Silence overcame both of them and Suteru suddenly became angry.

"Don't you dare ask me that! It's not any of your business!!!" After taking a few breaths, she continued. "What will you do? Do you want them to suffer?"

"Well... no. No, defiantly not." Kagome looked down.

"Very well." Suteru looked up at the sky. It was just about sunset and that would only leave them with three more days. "We'll fetch some food, weapons, and I'll get information tomorrow. Okay?"

All Kagome could do was nod her head. She continued to stare down at the ground. _InuYasha... you can't save me this time, can you?_ She forced a smile. _He wouldn't forget me, would he? _The grin she had slowly faded and became tears. She turned over, crawled under a tree and tried to sleep. _Does he even miss me?_

Elsewhere, InuYasha had other things on his mind. He walked up to the well and looked in it. "Looks okay to me." He said. Miroku walked up and looked in it as well.

"Still, maybe you should go check on Kagome, InuYasha."

"Why should I? She's probably still mad, and all she'll do is whine and tell me to sit some more!" He cringed at the thought of it. When he noticed he was blushing at the thought of Kagome, he turned away from Miroku and looked off in the distance.

Miroku sighed. "I hate to have to do this..."

"Do what?" InuYasha began to turn when Miroku's staff came flying towards him, knocking him down into the well.

"We'll be at Kaede's InuYasha, don't stay there to long!" Miroku said sarcastically.

"MIROKU! YOU BASTARD!" He called as he fell into the well and out the other side. When he sat up, he was back in Kagome's time. He looked around when he smelt the stench of a demon, though it was a rather familiar scent. He then stood up and jumped out of the well. Without even knocking, he walked right into Kagome's house and looked around. "Anyone home?" He called. Sota came running towards him waving his arms.

"InuYasha! Kagome brought you back?!"

InuYasha blinked. "What're you talking about?"

"Kagome went back to your time didn't she? I saw her in the shrine and then she was gone." Sota looked up at him.

"What? You mean... she...?" InuYasha was more puzzled then ever. _Does that mean that Kagome... no... something must've happened when she warped back to my time. _He turned quickly. "Yeah, she's fine, I just uh..." He patted Sota on the head. "See you around kid." He ran out the door and back to the well. _Kagome..._He jumped in and right back out into the Feudal Era and ran right back to Kaede's hut.


	3. New Memories

Hey again everyone! Hope you like the "chapter-a-day" thing! Here's number three, enjoy!

Forgive me Takahashi-**sama**! I called you –san before... :'( (EVERYONE WORSHIP HER! BWAHAHAHA!!!)

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InuYasha stepped into Kaede's hut to see everyone sitting around. They didn't even look up to acknowledge that he was there. "Hey, we've got a problem..."

Sango glared up at him, looking somewhat bored. "What is it? Did something happen to the well?"

"No, it's not the well... Kagome's gone." He looked down. "Her brother thought that she came back here, so she's not in her time."

"Maybe she was so mad that she came back here and ran off just to make you worry!" Shippo began jumping to conclusions. "Or maybe-" Before he could finish, InuYasha pounded him in the head.

"That's not it. She's not in this time either. I didn't smell her scent at all by the well."

"Something must've happened when she tried to warp back then." Said Miroku. He stood up and started walking towards the door. "We should go back and see. If anything happened then... she may not be able to come back." Everyone fell silent. Sango stood up and brushed herself off.

"Then what're we waiting for. Kagome could be in danger. Let's go." She picked up her hiraikostu and started for the well. The others followed, as well as Kaede.

In another part in time, Kagome woke up to a bright morning light. The grass around her was covered in dew. She stood up and the little droplets splashed around her. "Suteru? Suteru? Where are you?" She looked around. _Was it all a dream...?_ Her hopes were shattered when Suteru came around some trees. She was carrying a white cloak and some fruit.

"I got this cloak from a villager. You can wear it when we go into the village. Here's some food too." Suteru smiled. "Don't look so down. You'll finally be able to help your friends, right?"

"I suppose. But what if I don't stop Naraku?"

"Then things will be all messed up."

"Can't I just go back and..."

"No. I won't have it that way. Either you kill Naraku and get your shards back, or you stay here forever. Then the next time you see InuYasha, you'll be old..."

"I'll just pull the arrow off of him!"

"And start things over? You'll still love him, but would that mean that he'll even recognize you? Just kill Naraku, end everything."

Kagome forcefully snatched the cloak from Suteru's hand and grabbed an apple. She bit into it and held it with her teeth while she assembled the cloak neatly over her shoulders. She pulled the hood over her head and started eating the apple. "Let's go then." She said in an annoyed tone. "I'll do it. I will slay Naraku." She cast the half eaten apple core to the side and stomped off in the direction of the village.

"Good..." Suteru smirked and began walking with her.

When the two of them reached the village, it was quiet because morning had just come. There was a hut larger then the others near the entrance. Suteru pointed towards it. "That's Kikyo's hut. We'll stop there for a bow and some arrows." They continued walking and past a small shrine. Kagome stopped abruptly and looked in it. She could sense the whole jewel.

"Suteru... what if I got the jewel now? And then..."

"Things would get even more complicated. Besides, Kikyo is far too strong for you to handle. You wouldn't get five feet before she'd shoot you dead with an arrow." Kagome was now utterly angered at such a bothersome comment. Instead of saying anything, however, she continue to walk thinking of the things she wanted to say to Suteru for that rather rude insult.

"Wait here." Said Suteru as they reached the hut. She walked inside. Kagome pulled the cloak a little further over her eyes just to be safe. Suddenly, something came behind her and spoke in a familiar voice.

"Who are you?" said InuYasha. Kagome just about died when she heard his voice. She turned quickly and looked at him. "Kikyo? What're you doing?" He asked.

"I... I'm not..." Kagome began. Suteru then burst out of the hut and pulled Kagome away.

"You'll have to forgive my sister, sir." She smiled brightly. "We'll be off now..." she grabbed Kagome's wrist and started to run out of the village, leaving InuYasha standing there confused.

Meanwhile, in the Feudal Era where Miroku and the others were, InuYasha stopped. "Hmm...?"

"What's wrong InuYasha?" asked Sango.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought... of some girl I met a long time ago. I never remembered until now... she sort of looked like Kagome."

"When was this?" Miroku winked. "Three girls, InuYasha?"

His face turned bright red and he began yelling. "NO! I just remembered it! That's all! Come on... let's go." He started to continue walking. The others just looked and each other and shrugged.

Back with Kagome, she stood hunched over gripping her knees panting. "What was that all about?"

Suteru was doing the same. She stood up straight and looked at Kagome. "What were you thinking?! You could mess this whole thing up just by letting him meet you!"

"Sorry... it's just, it's so weird. He doesn't know me now... and..." She looked down. "Sorry."

"Bah, don't worry about it." She gave Kagome the bow and arrows then looked up at the sky. "We've got exactly three days now."

"Yeah..." Kagome started to walk in the direction of the forest. "So what's the plan?"

"We wait until the day of, and then when he's just about to strike Kikyo down, we'll get him right then and there. It's risky, but until then we won't know where he is."

"Right." As the walked, there was only one thing on her mind. _His eyes... they were so different from what I'm used to. Did I...did I really change him?_


	4. Fear of Doing What's Right

Hey everyone! Thanks for your compliments, and I'm not going to ruin anything for you! Just keep on reading. Oh, and I'm sorry Kagome's a lil' OOC ;;;;

Nenyways... Here's chapter number four, the second to the last chapter. 'Tis so exciting, ne? Also, I must warn everyone. There's a major paragraph with **spoilers** of episodes that are past where the dubbed version it. SO BEWARE!

Disclaimer: NO! I don't own InuYasha! STOP REMINDING ME! sits in corner

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It was now the fourth day that Kagome was stuck in the wrong time. She lived off of fruit and mostly trained. It was rough having to live out in the forest for such a period of time. Kagome was still uneasy on whether or not she really wanted to slay Naraku. Any sign of hesitation and she'd mess the whole thing up. It was now in the late afternoon and Suteru decided to go get some food.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Do you have to say it like that?" Kagome was annoyed by the comment. Suteru had left and Kagome decided to go for a walk down the river. There, she saw a boat and leapt behind the bushes just in case. Fortunately, the two passengers didn't notice. Kagome squinted her eyes only to see Kikyo and InuYasha; her heart sank. _Look at them... InuYasha never argues with her the way he and I do. Maybe... I really did defy fate. _

From there she decided to follow them until they docked. She watched from behind a tree, seeing Kikyo trip as she got off of the boat. She fell into InuYasha and they stood there for what seemed like forever. Pain and jealousy urged deep in Kagome's heart. When he dropped the pole-like oar that he was holding and wrapped his arms around Kikyo, it was then that Kagome realized she wasn't meant to be there.

"Touching, isn't it?" Suteru had appeared behind Kagome. She was smiling at the sight of the two of them standing there, embracing each other. "They're so beautiful together, that's the way it was meant to be."

"Yes... I suppose your right..." Kagome looked down. She started to cry a little bit. "I guess it was nice to be with him for some time... but just to know he's going to forget me... well..."

"In time, you'll forget him too." Suteru said nervously. "It's not like you _loved_ him or anything..."

Kagome's tears were now very real, flowing down her cheeks like the river they were standing by.

"Kagome...?" Suteru was somewhat confused. "Are you okay?"

"No... I just need... some time alone, that's all." She turned and ran for the one place that meant the world to her. The Sacred Tree.

Fifty years ahead of Kagome, InuYasha searched frantically for a way to find her. _I just hope you're safe Kagome..._ was the only thing he'd been thinking of for the past few days. He then felt a sudden urge to want to go to the Sacred Tree, as though something would tell him where she was.

He trudged his way there and looked up at it, at the very place where he was pinned. The small mark with the chipped bark was sort of smaller then he remembered, like it had changed a little. He turned, put his back to the tree and slid down. He sat there for the next few minutes wondering if she missed him at all.

On the other side of time, fifty years before that, Kagome was doing the same thing. She just sat there, crying her eyes out. She could almost hear his voice. "Stop crying!" "Stupid, you worry too much." "What're you thinking?!" "Don't worry about me." It almost made her cry more.

InuYasha could almost hear her voice too. "SIT!" "AGH! You're so frustrating!" "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Although, one thought still lingered in his head. "Will you let me stay?" It somewhat echoed. He looked up through the tree's leaves and into the night sky. "Damn... I wish I knew where you were..."

Kagome finally stopped crying and came to a conclusion. "InuYasha doesn't need me." She paused. "Even though I love him..." She paused again. "I will not hesitate. It no longer matters..." She looked down and started to fall asleep.

"Poor girl... I see now..." Suteru waited patiently behind a tree. She came around and sat by Kagome. "Such a sweet girl and yet..." _I have to take away the one thing that means anything to either of them. Will you really go through with this?_

It was finally the next morning and Suteru woke early. "It's time." Kagome said. She too, was already awake. It was still somewhat dark and they stood up, put on the cloaks and trailed off into the woods. They remained silent for the next few minutes until Suteru broke the ice.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Suteru asked.

"Yes." She said confidently. "Besides, you're the one who wanted this more then anyone, what's gotten into you?"

"Oh... nothing."

The sun began to rise and they stood hidden in the tall grass about 50 yards away from where Kikyo was then standing. She looked around nervously and there in her hand was the jewel. Kagome readied her bow and aimed right behind Kikyo, silently waiting.

Suteru was suddenly uneasy. "Kagome, are you really sure?"

"Enough. This is what's meant to be."

"Right..." Suteru looked down. _Even though I'll end my own suffering... and everyone else's will be over... Kagome won't stop suffering. No...can she really do this?_

The grass behind Kikyo shook a little, then a figure in red came dashing out and ran right behind her. Just as he was about to strike her down, Kagome let the arrow fly.

In that instant, she could see visions of InuYasha and the others, flashbacks. The time when she first met InuYasha, when he said he'd protect her, when Shippo came along, and Miroku too. When InuYasha first held Kagome by the well and told her he was scared, that he thought he was going to lose her. When Sango came onto the team and when he told her his feelings about being different after they met Jinenji. When he got jealous over Koga loving her and the time when she almost left but realized that she loved him. When the walked back to the village holding hands, and when he gave her his cloak when she was in the basement of the Sage's house, naked. When Musou tried to take Kagome away, and the time when she was kidnapped by the panther demons. When they could see each other through time under the tree, and when they first kissed. The time when he came back to take care of her when she got sick. The first time that she saw his tears and just about every time in between and after she saw in that instant.

The arrow made a 'thud' type of sound and she knew it was too late. The suffering had ended, maybe not for her but for everyone else. Naraku had to be dead...

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DUN DUN DUNNAH! Tune in tomorrow for the final chapter everyone! ;)


	5. When Everythings Over

Hey everyone! Again, thanks for the compliments (thus proving this is my only good story XD) Here's the final chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Takahashi-sama does. I only own Suteru in this story.

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Kagome held her eyes shut. "Is it over?"

"Ugh... unh... yeah." Suteru said weakly. Kagome opened her eyes and saw that Suteru was only feet in front of her, with the arrow in her chest.

"Suteru! What're you doing?!" Suteru pulled the arrow out and stabbed it into a near by tree. From there, she fell to her knees and looked over to her right as she watched Kikyo being sliced in the shoulder and Naraku making off with the jewel. "There... it's... too late now."

"No! I can still catch him!" Kagome didn't understand what was going on.

"No, Kagome. I realize it now. You... love him. Of coarse you do. More then my mother ever did." There was a long pause and they just looked at each other.

"Your... mother?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, Kikyo _was_ my mother. I am here because InuYasha and Kikyo's love for each other. I am their daughter."

"But... how?" Kagome was lost in mixed thoughts.

"Like I said, you defied fate. I am what fate is. If things carried out like they should've, I'd live. But now..."

"So, you're going to die?"

"Yeah. But it's better this way." Suteru stood up and pulled out the jewel shards. "Take these. Jump down the well, and you'll end up in your time. Jump down the well again, and you'll only go 500 years in the past." She clutched her chest as the blood oozed through her fingers. Her kimono was drenched in the crimson liquid. She coughed up some more blood and turned to Kagome. "What're you waiting for?"

"But... you're..." Kagome paused. "Right. Thank you."

"No, thank you." Suteru smiled a little. Kagome turned to leave. "Wait!" Suteru called after her. "Can you... do me a favor?"

In the original Feudal Era, InuYasha waited patiently by the well, hoping for something to happen. He sighed and just about gave up hope, but he continued to wait there for Kagome. Only her and no one else.

Fifty years before that, Kagome was running through the forest, carrying Suteru on her back. "How are you feeling?"

Suteru looked at her bloody hand and saw that it was going transparent. "I'm... disappearing. It won't be long now though..." They came past a small clearing and Kagome was running short of breath. Despite this, she continued going all out towards the village. As they continued up a small hill, there was smoke and fire. Once at the top, the two of them witnessed as InuYasha destroyed the village. In his hand was the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls.

Kagome set Suteru down and leaned her against a tree. "There. How's that?"

"I... think I'm okay." She coughed and watched as her father destroyed everything in sight.

"I'm sorry Suteru. At first, I didn't want to go through with this and now..." Kagome sat next to her and looked over as she slowly disappeared.

"No, it's alright. Don't blame yourself." She mustered up a weak smile. "Maybe... I could be reborn someday." She looked upwards. "As the child of the love you share with InuYasha..."

Kagome turned red and nearly fell over. "I... isn't that a little, y'know, ahead of ourselves?!"

Suteru let out a small chuckle. "Just... don't name any child after me."

"Why?" Kagome asked curiously.

"'Suteru', it means... abandon." Tears filled Suteru's eyes. "My father, InuYasha, he... he died. My mother thought I was dead as well and left. I never understood why I was called Suteru until then."

Before Kagome could say anything, there was a loud shout from the top of the stairs that led into the now massacred village. "INUYASHA!!!" Kikyo called as she shot an arrow and hit him directly in the chest. Kagome turned her head, not able to look, but she would've much rather have seen that then watch Suteru's last bit of life.

"Kagome... I want to thank you." She smiled bleakly. "Even if I do not exist, I shall not forget you." She started to glow an eerie blue light and disappeared into sparkles.

"Suteru..." Kagome whispered. She smiled and stood up. _I have to get back. I can't stay here any longer..._

She ran off towards the well, avoiding any contact with people at all. After a few minutes of sprinting, there it was. The bone-eaters well. She placed one hand on the edge and held the shards in the other. _Please work..._ she prayed to herself as she swung over and down into the warp.

She closed her eyes the entire time only to open them once again, in her time. She looked up to see the shrine roof above and was nearly to tears. Only after tucking the shards neatly away did she begin to climb up and out. The shrine doors were open and she poked her head out only to see her family through the window, enjoying dinner. "They must've thought that I was in the Feudal Era the whole time." She turned and looked back at the well. "I should go... just to be sure..."

In InuYasha's time, 500 years in the past, he stood up and walked away from the well. He'd lost all hope of seeing her anytime soon or again for that matter. Just about 20 feet away from the well however, he stopped. There was a sudden aura, a scent that he loved more then any other smell. There was also the familiar sound that the well made when someone just passed through. He turned around quickly to see Kagome falling over the edge of it to get out as quickly as possible.

"K...Kagome?" InuYasha was in awe.

She looked up and sat still for a time, silent. They just sort of looked at each other in disbelief that they were really there. Kagome stood up and could feel tears in her eyes. She took a step forward. Another. And then again and stopped. "I... InuYasha!" She ran towards him, almost tripping over herself and fell onto his chest crying.

"Kagome! Where the hell have you been!?" He put his arms around her and held her close. Instead of answering, she just sobbed onto him. "I... was really worried." He said. Above them, the night sky's stars shown brightly, and reflected off of Kagome's tears.

"When everything's over," She said through her tears, "I'll still be here... forever..."

"Forever..." InuYasha smiled and held her tighter.

----- THE END! -----

I hope you enjoyed it. :D Oh, and I'm sorry that Kikyo didn't win this one! XD


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